U.S. halts new student visa interviews
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has ordered its missions abroad to stop scheduling new appointments for student and exchange visitor visa applicants.
That's according to an internal U.S. cable, which also indicated that the State Department is preparing to expand social media vetting of foreign students.
It's the latest step in the Trump administration's efforts to fulfill the president's hardline immigration agenda.
That's included ramping up deportations as well as revoking student visas.
Last week, the administration moved to revoke Harvard's ability to enroll international students entirely.
Those roughly 6,800 students make up about 27% of Harvard's total enrollment.
Several hundred protesters, including Harvard students and professors, demonstrated in support of foreign students at its Cambridge campus.
"We stand here today to affirm that international students are our peers, our classmates and our friends,” a student said.
In the cable, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that available visa appointments for student and exchange visitor applicants that were not already scheduled should be pulled down.
He also said the department plans to issue updated guidance on social media vetting for such applicants.
A senior State Department official confirmed the accuracy of the cable.
Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians – and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza.
The administration has called their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accused them of being pro-Hamas, while critics have called the effort an attack on free speech rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
